Charles leslie travis



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet l.

G. L. TRAVIS. MATRIX MACHINE.

No. 427,717 Patented May 13, 1890.`

fait: 'f m... HMH ,I l 414m If '1. I 1 @u 1111*@1 n l 11] I [da (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. C L TRAVIS MATRIX MACHINE.

Patented May 131, 1890.

Wit/names UNLTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES LESLIE TRAVIS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MINNEAPOLIS ELECTRO-MATRIX COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MATRIX-MACHINE. ff

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,71*?, dated May 13, 1890.

Application filed May 16, 1889. Serial No. 311,019. (No model.) l

To all whom it may concern,.- a perspective view in outline of a matrix-ma- Beitknown thatI, CHARLES LESLIE TRAVIS, chine constructed on my plan. Fig. 2 is a top ofMinneapolis,in the county of I-Iennepinand plan view showing the supports for the mov- State of Minnesota, have invented certain Imable carrier shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top 5 provements in Matrix-lI-achines, of which the plan View showing in outline another form of 5 5 following is a specification. my machine. Fig. 4 is a, vertical sectional My invention is directed to the production elevation showing the machine in still anof indented, engraved, or iigured surfaces by other form. Fig. 5 is a view showing a modithe simplemanipulation of a pointer or linger fied form of the tool.

1o piece capable of universal movement in one In Figs. l and 2, A represents abase or bed 5 6o plane. B, a bed or table fixed upon one end thereof Although adapted for other purposes, my and intended to receive and support apattern apparatus ismoreparticularlydesigned forthe C, Which it is required to produce, and which production of stereotype-matrices in which maybe fixed temporarily thereon in any suit- 15 small letters or characters are grouped or comablemanner. In the case of a stereotyping- 65 bined to produce larger characters, as is commachine this pattern will represent letters or monly practiced in newspaper advertisements characters. of the present day. D represents the universally-movable car- To the ends named the invention consists, rier, one end of Which d is in position tovbe zo essentially, in the combination of a die or carried over the pattern, and the office of 7o tool or a series of dies or tools having a comwhich is to give support to the blank sheet mon point of action andacarrieror supportfor E and carry the same beneath the die or tool the paper, metal, or other blank, universally F in a path corresponding exactly with the movable and adapted to be freely manipuform of the pattern C. The manner of sup- 2 5 lated, so that the blank maybe carried freely porting the carrier to this end will be pres- 7 5 thereby in any desired course or path past ently described. The paper or blank E is the die or tool, in order that the latter may presented over the stationary anvil or supproduce the required ligure or design therein port G, of any appropriate form, located dior thereon. rectly beneath the die F, whereby the paper 3c It also consists in combining with the aboveis firmly supported on the under side as the 8o named carrier and suitable actuating mechandie acts on its upper side. There are a series ism a series of type-dies and means for preof dies F, representing the various letters or senting them one at atime at a common printcharacters. They are mounted to slide vering-point at will, so that repeated impressions tically through the edge of a horizontal sup- 35 of. any desired die may be made in any deporting-wheel II, and are each sustained by 85 sired relation to each other, in order to proa spiral spring 7L. The arrangement is such duce a matrix in large characters or letters that by revolving the Wheel II. any one of the composed of numerous small letters. series of' dies maybe brought to the printing- It also consists in combining with the unipoint and there permitted to remain. 4o versally-movable carrier an electric die-oper- The depression of the dies is effected by a 9o ating mechanism controlled thereby. hammer or striker I, Which may be operated, It also consists in various details of conas shown, by a power-driven eccentric J, or struction hereinafter described. in any other appropriate manner, the only IVhileIhave representedherein those forms requirement being that it sh all have a rising- 45 of myapparatus WhichIconsiderbest adapted and-falling motion, so als to depress the die 95 for ordinary use, it is to be understood that which is for the time being thereunder.

the details may be variously modified, pro Referring now to the support for the carvided, essentially, the same combinations and rier, it is to be observed that the carrier D the same mode of operation are retained. consists of a long plate orarm having one 5o In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis end divided horizontally and provided with Ioo a clamping-screw d', by which it may be caused to securely grasp the edge of the blank sheet, while at the opposite endit is provided with a button or finger-piece d3, by which to manipulate it, and with a pointer d to travel over or around the pattern. rIhe carrier receives its immediate support, as shown in Fig. 2, from two horizontal links d4, eachV connected thereto at the middle by a vertical pivot di". Each of these links is in turn supported by two horizontal arms d6, extending from its opposite ends and in opposite directions, and each turning at the outer end on a vertical pivot (Z7. This arrangement permits the carrier to be moved horizontally in a right line transversely of its length. The pivots of the arms d6 are in turn supported by an underlying plate d8, which is in turn sustained by links d10 and arms du. These lower arms and links are identical in form and arrangement with those already described, but they are arranged at right angles thereto, so that they permit the plate Z8 and all the parts thereon to move in a right line lengthwise of the carrier. Thus it will be seen that the carrier is permitted to move both laterally and longitudinally and the end which carries the blank sheet compelled to move through a path identical with that pursued by the pointer in traversingr the pattern. If, therefore, the die representing the letter E be brought to the operative position below the striker-that is to say, to the impressionpoint-a pattern representing the letter E placed upon the table, as indicated in the drawings, the striker set in action, and the pointer caused to follow the outline of the pattern, the blank Ewill receive a number of impressions or indentations of the character 13, and these indentations will be grouped or arranged in such manner as to jointly reproduce the desired character of larger size.

In the machine above described I have not represented any means for turning the plate H quickly to bring the different characters at the printing-point.

When the required plate or matrix is to contain a number of dies, characters, or letters, I provide means for speedily bringing the proper dies to the operative position. In Fig. 3 I have represented one arrangement for this purpose. The carrier, the patternsupporting table, the diesupporting Wheel, and the means for operating' the die may all be identical with those in the first machine; but the die-supporting wheel II is provided with a pinion 7L, engaged bya rackbar h2, connected in turn to a iinger-lever 7L. This lever is pivoted midway of its length, and at its free end is arranged adjacent to the patterntable and over a plate h, having the various letters or characters arranged thereon in such position that when the lever is brought in line with one of these characters the wheel will be turned to present the corresponding die at the indenting-point. The attendant, operating the lever h3 with one hand and the end of the carrier with the other, is enabled to speedily form designs for large letters composed of such smaller let-ters as fancy may dictate.

In Fig. l the striker or die-operating device has a continuous action, and therefore the distance between the successive indentations and the uniformity of the spacing between them depend entirely upon the skill of the operator in moving the carrier at the proper speed.

In order that the operator may control the action of the die both as to time and position, I propose to connect the striker or dieoper ating mechanism, whatever its form, with the carrier so that the latter will serve not only to move the blank, but also to bring the striker into action. In Fig. 4 I have represented a very simple arrangement for this purpose. The carrier, its supports, the die-supporting wheel, and the anvil are all identical with those shown in Fig. l. The striker I, however, is in the form of a soft-metal core, lifted by a spring i, and arranged to descend through a helix of insulated wire Conduct-ors i3, connected with the terminals of the coil, lead on the one side to the metallic arm of the carrier and on the other side through a battery or other generator i4 to the metaltop plate of the table B. This top plate and the carrier are one or both insulated from the frame work. The pattern employed is of metal. By moving the carrier horizontally the pattern is carried, as in the first form of the machine, in the required course under the die. When its end is depressed into contact with the plate B, the effect is to close the circuit and cause the striker to descend and act upon the die.

By providing the pattern with marks or graduations, as shown in Fig. 3, to guide the operator in manipulating' the pointer he is enabled to space the characters with vuni-i formity.

NVhile I have described my apparatus as being used in connection with a pattern, it is to be understood that it may be freely manipulated without reference to a pattern, so that the operator may create new designs, produce large characters in script, drawings, or other designs.

Insome cases and for some purposes I may employ, instead of the reciprocating die, a roa tary die or tool, as shown, for example, in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination, with a stationary guide, of a striking die or type having a constant point of action and a paper-support movable freely in all directions horizontally thereunder, whereby the operator is enabled to produce a design or character composed of numerous small characters or impressions.

2. The combination of ahammer or striker, a fixed support in which it is guided, aseries of dies or type, a support whereby said dies IOO may be brought one at a time to a common point beneath the hammer7 and a paper carrier or support mounted to have a universal horizontal motion at the will of the operator, whereby the operator is enabled to produce larger characters or designs composed of different small characters.

3. The combination of a die or type mounted to rise and fall, a c lamp or carrier to present a blank sheet to the action of the die, clampsupports by which it is allowed to move horizontally in all directions, a hand-piece or pointer for moving. and controlling' the motion of the carrier, and a stationary pattern.

4. In combination with a type or die and a guide in which it is mounted to operate at a xed point, a fixed anvil opposing the type, and the free universally-movable carrier provided with the controllin arm or pointer and constructed to grasp the sheet or blank at one edge and project the same between the type and anvil.

5. In combination with the paper-carrier, its sustaining-links d4, their sustaining-arms d, the plate (ZS, sustaining said arms, the sustaining-links d10, and their sustaining-arms CZ, said arms and plates mounted to move horizontally, substantially as described and shown.

6. The combination, substantially as described and shown, of the movable type or die carrier, the hand-lever and intermediate connections for bringing the individual type to a common printing-point at will, the papercarrier provided with a handle or pointer, and supports, substantially as described, allowing said carrier to move horizontally in all directions, whereby the operator is enabled to bring into action either of the characters at will and to move the sheet or blank in any desired course beneath the active type to produce a large character composed of numerous repetitions of the smaller character.

7. The combination of the striker having` a Xed point of action, an electric motor therefor, a carrier for the blank sheet, provided with a pointer or handle and mounted to move freely in a horizontal direction at the 'will of the operator to carry the blank bea neath the striker, and a motor-circuit termi nating at one side in the pointer of the carrier and at the other side in a suitable plate upon which the pointer may be depressed at will, whereby the pointer is enabled to serve the twofold purpose of moving the carrier in the desired path beneath the striker and of closing` the circuit to cause the action of the striker.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 7 th day of May, lSSQ, in the presence of two :Lt-testing witnesses.

CHARLES LESLIE TRAVIS.

WVitnesses:

Roer. F. GAYLORD, FRANK B. MURPHY. 

